Springbok Player Ratings v Australia
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Australia got back on track in the Rugby Championship by recording a deserved 25-17 win against South Africa in Adelaide.
The Springboks went into the break trailing 10-3 before Marika Koroibete and a second try for Fraser McReight made it even more comfortable for the hosts.
Two late Kwagga Smith tries saw South Africa cut the lead to just eight points but the game was too far gone by that point.
Here is how we rated the Springboks in defeat.
15 Damian Willemse - 6
He had a few promising moments on attack that didn't quite materialise. He was safe under the high ball and solid in defence.
14 Warrick Gelant - 4
Sloppy in possession as he wasted chances that did come his, though there weren't too many of them.
13 Lukhanyo Am - 8
He threatened the Wallabies' defence with every touch of the ball he got. He was also excellent on defence on several occasions, including a few pilfers at the breakdown. Unfortunately, as the Springboks failed to capitalise, much of his excellence was undone by sloppiness in possession.
12 Damian de Allende - 6
Although he did cover a breakaway kick into the 22 well, he made a few costly errors, including an early missed tackle. Like most of his teammates, he grew into the game and finished strongly.
11 Makazole Mapimpi - 5
Mapimpi came close to scoring but was denied by Marika Koroibete. He made over 30 running metres from his three carries but wasn't his usual sharp self when contesting under the high ball.
10 Handre Pollard - 3
A poor outing from the Springbok flyhalf, who missed two shots at goal and missed a tackle on Koroibete as the winger sped to the try line.
9 Faf de Klerk - 4
De Klerk had an off game by his standards as he spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for a slap on Nic White. He wasn't as influential as he usually is on attack or defence, either.
8 Duane Vermeulen - 6.5
A significant step up in performance compared to his Ellis Park outing. Assured under the high ball, a safe target at the lineout and a threat over the ball, winning a crucial turnover with the Wallabies building momentum in the first half.
7 Pieter-Steph du Toit - 5
He never lacks effort or work rate, but the execution let du Toit down on Saturday. He was busy around the park but got little purchase with his carries and couldn't adjust quickly enough to stop Koroibete from scoring.
6 Siya Kolisi - 7
A crucial turnover in the first half swung the Springboks' momentum as they looked to fight their way back into the contest. Kolisi thundered into tackles and took the fight to the Wallabies. He also won another turnover in the latter stages leading to one of Kwagga Smith's tries.
5 Lood de Jager - 7
De Jager ran some great lines and distributed well to find holes in the Wallabies' defence but was guilty of being wasteful once those opportunities did arise. His lineout work was excellent, as per usual.
4 Eben Etzebeth - 6
Etzebeth made a lovely linebreak in the latter stages of the match and was strong with the ball in hand. A solid game for the veteran but not close to his best.
3 Frans Malherbe - 5
Malherbe had a great battle with Slipper in the scrums as the pair traded blows. A quiet game outside of that from the tighthead.
2 Joseph Dweba - 4
Improved performance around the park, but his lineout darts are still an area of concern as one went askew and another into Arnold's hands.
1 Ox Nche - 5
Replaced at halftime after a strong enough showing in the scrums. He did well to get on the end of Am's chip over the top and weighed in with five tackles and an offload.
Replacements:
16 Malcolm Marx - 7
He improved the Springboks' lineout, carried well and was sound on defence.
17 Steven Kitshoff - 6
A strong scrummaging performance from Kitshoff while he produced a nice pass in the build-up to one of the Boks' tries. He made a crucial error as he shot up on Slipper, which created the space for Lolesio as McReight ran in his second try.
18 Vincent Koch - 6.5
He ran a great line and drew in the last defender well to send Smith through for his first try. He threw his weight in on defence and carried strong. A good impact overall.
19 Franco Mostert - 5
A busy day at the breakdown but not the kind of impact he would have hoped for.
20 Kwagga Smith - 8
He scored two late tries to make the scoreline look far more respectable. His impact extended further as he added real value at the breakdown, was excellent on defence, and carried superbly.
21 Jaden Hendrikse - 6
A nuts and bolts performance as he got the Springboks on the front foot with good service.
22 Elton Jantjies - 6
He was penalised shortly after coming on but managed the Bok attack well and defended well.
23 Frans Steyn - 4
Steyn looked off the pace after coming off the bench. A knock-on in his 22 gifted the Wallabies a massive territorial gain. Not his finest test match.
